April 16-22, 2015, Current Events Lesson Plan
Current Event: Gallipoli
April 25, 2015, marks the 100th anniversary of the Allied landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey during World War I (1914-1918). At that time, it was the largest military landing in history. In World War I, the Central Powers—Germany and Austria-Hungary—fought against the Allies—an alliance that included the United Kingdom, France, and Russia. As the war progressed, additional countries joined each alliance. Australia and New Zealand, former British colonies, entered the war as allies of the United Kingdom. Their combined force soon gained the name ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps). The Ottoman Empire, centered in what is now Turkey, entered the war as a German ally in October 1914. The Gallipoli Peninsula stands on the Aegean Sea at the entrance to a strait known as the Dardanelles. The Dardanelles is part of the waterway that leads to Constantinople (now Istanbul), the Ottoman capital. After World War I began, the Ottoman Empire closed the Dardanelles, which blocked access to Russia. In an effort to remove the Ottoman Empire from the war, weaken Germany, and strengthen Russia, Allied forces planned an attack on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The initial landing force of about 75,000 Allied troops consisted mainly of British soldiers and ANZAC troops. About 84,000 Ottoman troops awaited the assault. Allied leaders underestimated the Turks’ defenses, as well as the difficulty of the peninsula’s terrain. The invading troops encountered heavy enemy fire. Soon after the landing, Ottoman and Allied forces became locked in brutal trench warfare. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. After many months and little progress, the Allies decided to abandon Gallipoli. The Gallipoli campaign was a disaster for the Allies. It was hardly better for the Ottomans. Tens of thousands of soldiers were killed on each side. The campaign was particularly hard for ANZAC forces. More than 10,000 Australian and New Zealand soldiers were killed in action during the Gallipoli campaign. During the eight-month campaign in Gallipoli, the ANZAC forces gained a reputation for bravery and skill. In Australia and New Zealand, Anzac Day is observed each year on April 25 in honor of people who have served in the armed forces of the two countries.
Objective:
Anzac Day is a patriotic holiday in Australia and New Zealand that honors the people who served in the armed forces of those countries. The holiday was first observed on April 25, 1916, to commemorate the anniversary of the Gallipoli landing. By the 1920’s, the day had become a day to remember all Australians and New Zealanders who had died in World War I. In 1920, New Zealand officially declared April 25 a national holiday. By the end of the 1920’s, all the Australian states had passed legislation to make Anzac Day a legal holiday. Since then, the holiday has come to be a day of remembrance to honor Australians and New Zealanders who died in wars, as well as an occasion to honor veterans and those currently serving in the armed forces. Anzac Day is observed with dawn services at war memorials and other public places, as well as with parades and other memorial ceremonies. Many Australians and New Zealanders travel to what is now known as Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula to participate in Anzac Day memorial services there. The Behind the Headlines news story and related World Book articles explore the Gallipoli campaign, World War I, and other historical events.
Words to know:
- ANZAC
- Anzac Day
- Anzac Memorial
- Australia
- Dardanelles
- Gallipoli campaign
- Istanbul
- New Zealand
- Ottoman Empire
- Simpson and his donkey
- Trench warfare
- Turkey
- World War I
Discussion Topics:
1. Ask your students what they know about Australia. (They might say that Sydney is the largest city and Canberra is the national capital; Australia is the only country that is also a continent; Australia is famous for its kangaroos, koalas, platypuses, wombats, and other unusual animals; the Aboriginal people were the first humans to arrive in Australia.)
2. Ask your students to name wars that have been fought since World War I, “the war to end all wars,” ended. (They might say the Afghanistan War, Bosnian War, Falklands War, Iran-Iraq War, Iraq War, Korean War, Persian Gulf War of 1991, Six-Day War, Spanish Civil War, Vietnam War, World War II.)
3. Ask your students to debate, “How would the world be different today if the two world wars had never been fought?”
4. Ask your students to rank the 5 most significant historical events of the 20th century. Possible event to discuss include the assassination of Franz Ferdinand (leading to World War I), bombing of Hiroshima, discovery of penicillin, fall of the Soviet Union, Great Depression, Holocaust, moon landing, rise of computers and the Internet, Russian Revolution, Treaty of Versailles.
5. Ask your students to use World Book’s Timelines feature to view or add to the World War I timeline. (Students may wish to use World Book’s “World War I” article for help.) World Book also has a Gallipoli Campaign timeline that students may view or add to.